Chapter 1139

Roxanne breathed a sigh of relief. She saw Estella, slightly out of place, but the other children were approaching her enthusiastically, playing together. Yet, before she could fully relax, she heard Estella yelp. The children, previously skipping, stopped in unison. Roxanne's heart clenched, and her gaze instinctively went to Pamela. Something was clearly wrong with Estella, and Pamela, nearby, likely noticed. However, Pamela was occupied with soothing a crying child and hadn't yet intervened.

Left with no choice, Roxanne turned back to Estella, watching worriedly. The girl hung her head, massaging her hand. Roxanne's view was obstructed, but she suspected Estella was hurt, a thought that distressed her. Nevertheless, Roxanne dismissed it, assuming the other children had merely hurt Estella accidentally. Sadly, her assumption was far from the truth.

An aggrieved Estella rubbed her injured hand, her lips pursed in evident upset. Her behavior on her first day had labeled her a "weirdo" among her classmates. Estella, in turn, had barely spoken in the past two days, leading them to call her a mute. They'd tried various antics to make her speak, treating her as a joke. This only increased Estella's resistance. She hadn't anticipated their even harsher treatment today.

Immediately after class, a group of children encircled Estella, singing a taunting rhyme as they circled her. When Estella tried to cover her ears, a girl stepped on her hand. "Wow, she really is a mute!" the girl exclaimed, noting Estella's silence even in pain. The other children readily agreed. Estella hung her head, feeling miserable. I miss Archie and Benny. If they were here, they would definitely protect me.

"Hey, say something. We're not going to hurt you," another girl said, shoving Estella. Startled, Estella stumbled before regaining her balance. I don't want to speak to these mean kids!

"Why did you transfer here if you don't like it? Do you think we like you?"

"Go to a special needs kindergarten if you're mute. Why are you even here?"

"I heard she has no mommy. No wonder she's so weird."

The children continued their barrage of insults. Estella remained silent, her lips tight. But the mention of her mother caused her head to snap up, anger blazing. "I have a mommy!"

Her outburst stunned them momentarily, but they quickly recovered, their taunts escalating.

"That's not your mommy. She's your stepmom! I heard stepmoms are the meanest."

"Your mommy probably abandoned you because you don't speak. Who would want a mute?"

The topic of her mother was intensely sensitive. Hearing them claim she was abandoned, Estella's face soured.